Puerto Rico must take some responsibility in rebuilding | Letters

The fictional series "Star Trek" had a concept known as the prime directive. "Basically, don't interfere with another civilization." The apparent rationale is they can't handle a quantum leap forward because all cultures need to evolve at their own pace.

Yes, we have some responsibility for Puerto Rico, but not bootstrapping them. In fact, there in lies the issue. With our help they built a culture that can't sustain itself. We helped South Korea, Japan, and countless other countries bootstrap. After the push, you are basically on your own. Puerto Rico is bankrupted and needs more than "assistance." They need to build their community to a level they can support independently.

I can have a pool party every week and supply drinks and food to all my friends, but when my AC unit quits, I would also need to beg for help! Of all the things we are responsible for, the biggest is not communicating what our grandparents taught us: "Save for a rainy day."